Chemistry and Science-Based Business

Specialisation of: Chemistry
Degree: Master of Science in Chemistry
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 2 years
Start date: Flexible, for international students preferably September or January
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 66857
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This track offers the opportunity to combine training in chemistry research with training in business and entrepreneurship. It enables science students to understand the fundamentals of business management and innovation. The emphasis is on science-driven organisations and on establishing new business based on the outcomes of scientific research.

Programme

The specialisations consist of three components:

  1. Compulsory chemistry components which comprise a research internship (including a master’s thesis and an oral presentation, in an LIC research group in one of the major research areas) and four compulsory courses to be selected from the core chemistry MSc courses.
  2. The Science-Based Business specialisation modules.
    The business-related part of the programme consists of the courses in Science-Based Business Fundamentals and Orientation on Technopreneurship, electives and an internship. In order to acquire a Science-Based Business specialisation annotation, a minimal programme consisting of the Science-Based Business Fundamentals course and the Science-Based Business training period must be completed.
    For further information, please visit the SBB website.
  3. The free electives with an optional extension of the internship for a maximum of 20 EC.

e-Prospectus Chemistry

Photo Chemistry

Prof. Noteborn

“In Leiden we introduce small peaces of DNA in bacteria and in human cells.”

“May 20, 2010, U.S. Scientist Craig Venter announced his team succeed in producing bacterial DNA in their laboratory and introducing this DNA into a bacteria whose own DNA had been removed.

With the aid of the synthetic DNA the scientists were able to revive a bacteria that had nearly died and get it to breed an bacteria colony. You can compare this to a computer. When you take out a software pack and replace it with a new one, the computer will retain new characteristics and start working again. To this “empty bacteria” the synthetic DNA was a new software pack.

The synthetic DNA the scientists introduced is a replica of natural bacterial DNA. The synthetic DNA resembled the original DNA of the bacteria. Does this make the discovery less important? No. Creating such a large bacterial genome in a laboratory still is a large technological challenge. Have these US scientists created new life? No, absolutely not. The scientists used a natural mechanism. This discovery may be used for a great number of applications: advancements in the production of proteins used to produce medications, combating oil pollution more effectively and improved methods for capturing CO2.

It’s not surprising that the entire would wanted to know more about this discovery. Friday the 21 of May reporters from the RTL4 asked me to explain about this new discovery in their seven thirty news bulletin, and they also asked whether it would be possible to film the interview in our brand new Cell Observatory. A large number of scientists of the LIC and other institutes at Leiden University have been introducing smaller DNA pieces into bacteria and human cells, similar to what to Craig Venter did, but much more small scale in terms of the size of the DNA involved. By doing this we are for example trying to find out which DNA particles deter the development of growing cancer cells. My colleague Dr Claude Barckendorf and a number of students Life Sience and Technology were working on these experiments on May 21st.”